The iX3 electric SUV is the first new BMW in years to shrink its front 'kidney' grilles, and it may not be the last – but the brand says some cars will keep their big nostrils.
The super-sized 'kidney' grilles on the front ends of new BMWs are not going anywhere, as long as strong sales – and a lack of backlash in showrooms – show customers like them.
However, the German car giant's executives acknowledge some models don't need an extroverted face, and will benefit from a more restrained appearance to ensure they do not polarise.
Among them is the new iX3 mid-size electric SUV, the first in a new series of Neue Klasse electric vehicles, which must sell well to recoup the $18 billion investment and assure the company's future.
"There was no backlash from customers. We took note of all the, let's say, negative comments, but we never saw it in the sales figures. Actually, quite the opposite," BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk told select media including Drive at a preview of the iX3.
"We didn't feel that we had to react. If you look at this front end closely ... you will notice that on a car the size of an X3, we felt that this size of grille actually fits quite well."
The trend to larger front grilles – from the 7 Series sedan to the XM sports SUV – has been attributed to China, where customers are said to value road presence more than other regions.
"It depends where you are in the world," said van Hooydonk, dismissing suggestions BMW has taken its grilles too far.
"China is good, people are still asking for a big grille. This is the tricky situation that you're in as a global brand.
"We will also have various shapes and sizes in the grille. It has always been something that is part of our brand identity, but also it's something – together with the light signature – that we are going to use to differentiate between our models."
van Hooydonk joked that BMW has indirectly had a hand in the more streamlined appearance of the latest cars out of China.
"Quite frankly, most of the Chinese cars that you see on the road in China were designed in Munich, because most of these car companies have set up a design studio and hired a designer from us. So it's design that we understand very well."
Arguably BMW's most polarising design in recent years has been the XM, a performance-oriented SUV with sharper, more angular styling than the X5 and X7 below it in the range.
Amid claims the XM is far from a certainty to continue in BMW's line-up due to slower-than-expected sales, van Hooydonk defended the vehicle's brash styling, when asked about the German firm moving away from bolder styling with the iX3.
"I think you have to take the XM out of the equation. It is a very expressive car, and it is designed to be a very expressive car. It appeals to people that do want to show what they're driving.
"Here we're talking about an X3, which is a family car, which we want to sell all over the world. We have three factories that are producing X3s all over the world, so this is a design that we want, of course, to appeal to a larger audience.
"At the same time, I feel that we've taken a bold step forward. It is not a retro design, it is not a careful evolution of the previous X3. It is a big step.
"But, like you say, it's restrained. It is very clean, and with that, we believe we have created a design that will not only appeal to a wide audience, but it will hold its modernity for a long time."
He added that "cars like an X6 and XM, you sort of take into account that they will be somewhat polarising, but that's okay because you don't need that many people buying them."
The lead designer on the BMW Neue Klasse project, Oliver Heilmer, suggested customers are increasingly interested in cleaner designs, and that grilles can be a "trend".
"It was a representation of the trend, and of the time being, in that sense, right?
"We had a lot of nice conversations with customers. For instance, when we introduced the M3 kidneys – the vertical ones – there was a lot of discussion [online], we know that, but the customers ... really appreciated that differentiation.
"... In terms of that time where we [were], it was the right approach, but time is changing, you know – everything is becoming more calm.
"Especially here ... talking about an expressive car, as you see it here, it doesn't have to be too much in your face in terms of expression, it can be way more subtle – and that's maybe the era where we are in from a BMW perspective."
While grilles may get smaller on future models, Heilmer said "a BMW without a kidney is not possible".
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
